Blossoming Bud
by Falneou17
Summary: After the events of the Black Class and having moved in with a former classmate, Banba Mahiru is happier than she has been in a very long time. Or, at the very least, she keeps telling herself that in an effort to convince herself of that very fact. What is it that she is missing, and what will her reaction be once she finds out? If she finds out. Part of SRDC2019.


**Part of the Saten Ruiko Day 2019 Countdown, published at different times. This is entry #4 featuring my 4th favorite fictional character as of November 2018: Banba Mahiru from Akuma no Riddle.**

**Here we have what could possibly be the second-fastest a character has jumped up in my preference list within a short period of time; I started Akuma no Riddle in… September? October? Somewhere in that time period, anyways, and here we are! So, yeah… this will be my first Akuma no Riddle fanfic… let's see how it went, shall we?**

**This oneshot and the "countdown" as a whole got delayed because of… a certain falling out I had with a part of the fandom. This fandom. That said, while I was tempted to just cancel all these oneshots as a whole I owe it to all of them to keep it going. Mahiru's up first.**

**Special thanks go to Reiriniverse for creating the wonderful cover image for today's oneshot!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Akuma no Riddle**

* * *

Mahiru looked outside one of the windows on the ground floor at the Hanabusa estate, wondering and admiring the scenery that she saw right outside. The white-haired girl was smiling brightly, something that she hadn't been doing for a very long time. And it wasn't just Mahiru who noticed this fact.

"It's good to see yer smilin' again," the familiar voice of Shinya resonated through Mahiru's mind, the alter ego of Banba Mahiru smiling herself and sounding a lot happier and chippier than she usually was. This revelation made Mahiru happier herself; something that did not go unnoticed by Shinya, either, "Somethin' special 'bout to happen?"

"Oh, um... it's just that the flowers... they look really pretty, I think," Mahiru said, pointing at one of the flowers in the small garden patch outside. Mahiru made sure to walk a little bit closer so she and Shinya could see more what it was, but neither of them really recognized what it was, "What do you think that is?"

"Beats me."

"That's a daffodil," a familiar and calm voice sounded behind Mahiru, prompting the girl to turn on her heel to see who had approached her. The voice belonged to the heiress of the Hanabusa company: Hanabusa Sumireko.

Sumireko was already wearing the formal clothes that she would need to wear when she was going to that meeting she had been talking about these past couple of days. Mahiru did not know much about it, but she did think that the outfit looked good on Sumireko.

Shinya did not let this go laying down.

"See somethin' ya like, Mahiru?"

As Mahiru covered her red face with both her hands, she had to endure the roaring laughter of Shinya in her head and the curious look that Sumireko was giving her. Mahiru shuffled about a little, playing around with the hem of her skirt before taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves a bit.

"It's... nothing, Ojou-sama," Mahiru murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she tilted her head down. She knew that Sumireko would have heard her already, but Mahiru was spurred on by a Shinya who would not leave the matter unsaid, "It's just... I had a talk with Shinya... about those flowers."

"I see..." Sumireko nodded, raising her hand up in front of her mouth and looking outside thoughtfully as well.

The silence that followed was a long one, but it was nowhere near unpleasant. Mahiru took the opportunity to whine to Shinya about her continuous teasing while also trying to compose herself again, while Sumireko seemed to be deep in thought. The silence was eventually broken when Sumireko opened her mouth again.

"You've worked really hard for us lately, Mahiru-san," Sumireko began, turning to Mahiru to see the white-haired girl with a perplexed look on her face. Sumireko then put a wider smile on her face and nodded to the little garden patch outside, "How about you take the rest of the day off? You and Shinya-san could use the time off, I think, and you more than deserved it."

"A-Are you sure?" Mahiru asked, but the excitement in her voice betrayed her. All three of them knew just how much Mahiru wanted to go outside now, which was a welcome change from how she was only months ago. Mahiru's eyes were almost twinkling with a hope that had been missing for years, and neither Sumireko or Shinya could bear to break Mahiru's heart now.

"Of course, now hurry up and go or you won't be able to enjoy the day to the fullest," Sumireko said, waving the shorter girl off and smiling internally at the thought of Shinya shouting profanities at her. To be honest, Sumireko had planned to tease Mahiru and deny her the right to go outside, but she did not dare to say that it was just a joke now. So instead, Sumireko had to come up with a better plan, "I can always ask someone else to accompany me to the venue."

"Thank you very much, Ojou-sama!" Mahiru almost shouted at the top of her lungs, bowing deep enough for her long hair to wipe the floor that she was standing on. Pushing the ponytail back with a sheepish look on her face, the girl added, "Then... I will be off!"

Mahiru had already turned around in the direction of the front door, having pulled up her skirt a bit so she could run more freely when Sumireko's voice halted her.

"Oh, and Mahiru-san?" Sumireko said, quickly bringing Mahiru to a stop as she had to face her again. Sumireko was pleased with the devotion Mahiru had shown and decided against making this very long, "You should tell Shinya-san that she should stop teasing you so much."

"Look whose talking, that stuck up little—"

"I will, Ojou-sama!"

* * *

About half an hour had passed since Mahiru had gotten permission to head out from Sumireko, and she was sitting on a nice grassy patch on a nearby hill. She had changed clothes as well, replacing her maid attire for a more casual one.

It had been a very long time since Mahiru could get herself to stay outside in the warm sun for extended periods of time. Even Shinya was unable to get her to do it, even though she knew that staying indoors all the time would not be very good for Mahiru's health either.

Mahiru let her hands rest on the grass around her, the tips of her fingers getting tickled by the soft blades of grass as they swayed in the wind. It was a nice feeling, Mahiru thought to herself, thinking of all the things she had to go through to get to this point.

"Ya don't feel anything against that Sumireko girl, do ya?"

The voice of Shinya came from within Mahiru's mind, gently shaking the girl back to reality. Mahiru shook her head silently without a second of hesitation to think over her answer.

"It may not have been the nicest way to get us to stay here, but... it worked, right?" Mahiru asked herself, looking over to her side in the direction of the Hanabusa estate in the distance. Mahiru gulped slightly, trying to hold back the emotions that threatened to spill over, "I am still sad... and hurt... there is no use trying to hide that from you..."

"You bet it ain't!"

"But, overall... I think it is nice..." Mahiru murmured to herself, tilting her head up to look at the sun shining above her. She had to squint her eyes to almost a shut, however, as she was still not quite used to being exposed to the sun like she was, "I mean... we got to stay at such a fancy place... and we also got to wear these outfits. Shinya... likes seeing me in them, doesn't she?"

Instead of an actual vocal reply, Shinya responded by laughing heartily in Mahiru's mind. Shinya's apparent happy mood also affected Mahiru's, making her feel even happier again.

"Ya got me there!" Shinya grinned, nodding appreciatively at the otherwise timid girl in her mind, "It suits ya. And ya seem to be happy wearing it and being here, so who am I to try and persuade ya to head out?"

"...Head out?" Mahiru echoed, lowering her hand that she had raised to tuck some stray strands of hair behind her ear. The way that Shinya said that did not seem to sit well with Mahiru, and Mahiru was quick to say something about it, "But why... would we do that? I thought Shinya... Shinya just said she... likes it here too, right?"

"I'll tell you about it a bit more later," Shinya waved off Mahiru's concern, instead guiding her hand and face to more properly enjoy the scenery and warm weather, "For now, you deserve this break. Seems a lot like back then, huh?"

"Yeah..." Mahiru muttered softly, the two girls not needing to tell the other what Shinya was talking about; they both already knew.

So instead of worrying about the little tidbits, Mahiru heaved out a sigh and plopped down on her back in the grass. She let out a soft sound, what it was Shinya did not know; the only thing that Shinya knew was that it was caused by the content Mahiru laying in the sun with the grass lightly tickling her cheeks.

Shinya could almost feel the gentle zephyr-like breeze tickle her skin as well, even though she wasn't the one in control of the body at that moment in time. Shinya let out a sigh of content, relishing the feeling and sensation as she, too, was starting to doze off on that hill.

It wasn't until Mahiru herself stirred in her rest that Shinya noticed that they were no longer laying down.

"Say, Shinya..." Mahiru began softly, trailing off for a bit as she thought of the right words to say. She knew that Shinya was looking at her funny, which only made her twirl the strands of grass in between her fingers some more.

After a short period of silence, Mahiru pulled herself up to a seated position with a slight amount of difficulty. Shinya, all the while watching her, was now really curious what Mahiru wanted to say, but she knew better than to interrupt Mahiru at a time like this.

"We really have gone... through a lot, didn't we?" Mahiru asked Shinya, raising one hand to push some stray strands of hair behind her ear as she did so. The sun was too nice for her to stop enjoying the feeling for long, and this surprised Mahiru; she never knew how nice and warm the sun in the outside world could be.

"We have. Just a little bit more, right?" Shinya asked, her mental projection of her leaning down to sit by Mahiru's side and placing a reassuring hand on Mahiru's shoulder. Shinya smiled when Mahiru turned to look at her before adding, "You've come far, Mahiru. And if nothin' else, I'm proud of ya."

"Thank you, Shinya..." Mahiru smiled, her eyes starting to burn a little as she leaned more to the side to feel the comforting embrace of her protector. Mahiru and Shinya would stay like that for a long extended period of time, neither of them wanting to move from that position.

It was only when the sun was starting to set behind the two girls, basking the skies in a brilliantly warm orange color in the process, that they moved again. Mahiru, despite seeming very reluctant to do so, stood up from her position and proceeded to pat the dirt and grass from her clothes.

She knew that she had the day off, but the Mahiru deep inside her knew that she would never forgive herself if she were to present herself like this in front of Sumireko, should she meet her again. Mahiru then reached up to her hair to find that it had become matted in the hours she was out.

With a painful groan, Mahiru disentangled her hairband holding her hair in one big ponytail before tying it up again. Once satisfied, she turned to see that Shinya was waiting for her with a warm and welcoming smile.

"Ready to go, Mahiru?" Shinya asked, nodding her head in the direction of the sunset while knowing that Mahiru knew what Shinya was talking about. It was starting to get late at a much faster rate than either Mahiru or Shinya had realized when the two of them were enjoying the sun. Mahiru nodded silently, understanding that she probably didn't have a lot of time left before the sun had set completely, and followed Shinya's lead.

The two of them ended up walking together in a silence that was somehow comforting for the two of them. Mahiru, however, was the first to break it in favor of asking the question that had been on her mind for a while.

"Say, Shinya..." Mahiru began, looking around her as the two of them made their way through the streets. Mahiru knew that Shinya was listening so she continued, "What do you think about going out and enjoying the place... during the night?"

"Ya sure?" Shinya asked, her worry coming out clear in her voice as she eyed her host, "It's been a while since ya let me roam around freely like that."

Mahiru nodded sadly, remembering what happened the last time. The two of them got into trouble with some of the local people, and in an effort to protect Mahiru Shinya had jumped in and... taken care... of the problem. Mahiru was not fully in favor of Shinya's choice of action so the two of them had agreed to lock themselves in their room when nightfall came.

"I know... but I feel bad," Mahiru whispered softly and slowed down her step. The two of them found themselves on the grassy path back to the Hanabusa estate and Mahiru had chosen the shade of the tree to halt her step for a bit, "I mean... Shinya is a part of me... so Shinya should have the freedom... to do more, when her time comes... you know?"

Shinya did not directly respond to that, instead she stayed silent while having many thoughts swirl around in her mind. She was protective of her precious Mahiru for more than just the very fact that Mahiru was an adorable bundle of adorableness; if something were to happen to Mahiru it would be affecting Shinya as well. But more than that, Shinya was in awe. She was in awe at how much Mahiru had seemed to grow since the last time the two of them had a heart-to-heart like this.

"I'll make a deal with ya," Shinya finally relented, not one to give up her freedom completely just yet. She longed for the day to roam freely again, and she knew that this was her chance, "Mahiru can stay home at that Sumireko house of hers. I'll find my own fun to do in the meantime, and I promise I won't hurt anyone who hasn't hurt you yet."

"That... sounds good..." Mahiru nodded with a smile. She seemed like she wanted to say more to Shinya but then noticed that it was too late; the sun had fully set and her eyes widened in shock at the realization.

Mahiru dropped down into a crouch with her knees pulled up close against her and covered her face with her hands, shivering uncontrollably in the process. Her eyes were almost bulging out of her sockets, they were that wide, and her breathing was very irregular, taking in short and raspy breaths.

The next moment, Mahiru's body had calmed down considerably; she was no longer shivering and she seemed like she was going to be all right after all. But when Mahiru raised her head next, it was Shinya who had taken control of her body.

"Sorry 'bout this, Mahiru," Shinya muttered as she rolled her left shoulder a bit to loosen it up some more. Grinning contently at the satisfying cracking sound it made, she looked up at the skies to see the moon right there.

Shinya took a deep breath, both to relish the fragrant smell of the blooming flowers around her and to properly recognize that she is in control again. She did not waste another second; Shinya bend down and patted the blades of grass off her clothes before making her way back to the Hanabusa estate.

'I promised Mahiru I would not hurt someone who hasn't hurt her yet, but this is not like her at all,' Shinya thought to herself, making sure that her thoughts were separate from Mahiru's for once. Shinya did make sure to look at Mahiru, the girl lying prone in the headspace the two of them shared. Shinya knew that Mahiru would be getting better soon, but it was still a painful sight for her to see her like this.

Shinya shook her head vigorously to regain her composure and remind herself of what she was supposed to be doing. She raised her hands up to her hair to retie her hair into a new ponytail before looking at the big building in the distance with a determined expression.

"There's only one thing I can do fer ya, Mahiru," Shinya whispered softly, allowing her voice to die out in the gentle yet cold nightly breeze that embraced her. Before she could stop herself, she shivered at the sensation of the drop in temperature.

Shinya wrapped her arms around her to help stop the clacking of her teeth, knowing that she wouldn't forgive herself if anybody would see her like this. Thankfully, Mahiru was still out of it and there was no other soul around in sight to see her like this.

"I think it's 'bout time I gave that Sumireko girl you look up to a visit!" Shinya grinned before walking off into the darkness without once looking back.

One girl trying to hold on to life for what she was worth, the other doing everything she could to help support her. Two very different individuals habiting the same body, but they both were of the same mind: they both wanted to escape the past that continued to haunt them and move on to a brighter future.

And for this purpose, Shinya knew that she would do everything in her power to help Mahiru get to that. Even if it meant erasing her very existence, she knew that it would be more than worth the price for her Mahiru.

* * *

**And that wraps up this oneshot and my first attempt at AnR! I hope you all enjoyed it, please tell me what you thought of it, and until next time! Take care!**


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